Could Algae Be the Key to Data Center Sustainability?

In a bold move towards data center sustainability and energy efficiency, a French data center operator has partnered with academics to pioneer a novel approach: utilizing surplus heat to grow algae.

A pilot project from Data4Group, in collaboration with the Université of Paris-Saclay, aims to cultivate biomass by harnessing surplus heat and captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, potentially opening up new possibilities for circular energy in data centers.

Data4’s research project is in response to the “strategic challenge” of reusing heat and CO2 emissions produced by data centers. The initiative comes at a crucial time, with both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United Nations urging data centers to reduce CO2 emissions to combat climate change. Despite years of focus on sustainability, data centers still struggle to curb heat output.

According to think-tank Energy Innovation, large data centers individually produce over 100 MW of energy, with entire campuses reaching up to 300 MW – enough to power mid-sized cities. Data centers and data transmission networks accounting for 0.6% of total energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emission according to the IEA.

Researching the ‘World’s First Bio-Circular Data Center’

According to the operator, although the industry has already been exploring energy reuse technologies, such as heating nearby homes, these solutions are only able to capture 20% of the heat produced.

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